U.S. patent application number 11/171332 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-16 for method for accessing a device with an ip address being modified spontaneously.
This patent application is currently assigned to Z-COM, INC.. Invention is credited to Yung-Yi Lin.
Application Number | 20060056445 11/171332 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36033857 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060056445 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lin; Yung-Yi |
March 16, 2006 |
Method for accessing a device with an IP address being modified
spontaneously
Abstract
A method for accessing a network device with an IP address being
modified spontaneously is described. A resolution program installed
in the network device resolves the request string in an HTTP
packet, in which the configuration of the network device can be
modified automatically according to the information of packet
broadcast from a control end. Since the network device can
spontaneously modify its own configuration learning from the
network configuration broadcast, the control end can simply access
the network device using the device's name corresponding to a
modified IP address in the same domain without any manual
configuration.
Inventors: |
Lin; Yung-Yi; (Hsin-chu,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TROXELL LAW OFFICE PLLC
SUITE 1404
5205 LEESBURG PIKE
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22041
US
|
Assignee: |
Z-COM, INC.
|
Family ID: |
36033857 |
Appl. No.: |
11/171332 |
Filed: |
July 1, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
370/465 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 41/082 20130101;
H04L 29/12207 20130101; H04L 29/12009 20130101; H04L 41/0816
20130101; H04L 61/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
370/465 |
International
Class: |
H04J 3/22 20060101
H04J003/22 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 10, 2004 |
TW |
93127576 |
Claims
1. A method for accessing a device with an IP address being
modified spontaneously is used to access a network device using the
device's name in a HTTP (Hypertext Transmission Protocol) packet,
since the network device can modify a corresponding IP address
learned from a control end, wherein the method comprises:
generating at least one HTTP packet; broadcasting said HTTP packet
involving said network device's name; resolving said network
device's name included in said HTTP packet, as said network device
proceeds to resolution on receiving said packet; modifying said
network device's configuration learned from the information in said
HTTP packet broadcast from said control end spontaneously, wherein
said control end accesses said network device since the
modification is in accordance with the network configuration;
feeding back said modified configuration of said network device to
said control end; and accessing said network device.
2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a connection between
said network device and said control end is wired or wireless.
3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said control links
said network device using a network browser.
4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein before the step of
broadcasting said HTTP packet, said HTTP packet requested in said
control end resolves said network device's name using a domain name
server (DNS) or Windows Internet naming service (WINS).
5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein before the step of
modifying said network device's configuration, said network device
gets an IP address through address resolution protocol (ARP).
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a method for accessing a
device with an IP address being modified spontaneously, and more
particularly to a network device that can modify its own network
configuration, learning from a control end in use during
accessing.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Network-related devices, such as a router, switch, or access
point device, need to be configured through the command mode in a
remote host via a communication port. Since the embedded operation
system is used generally, almost all network devices or future
information appliances can be configured and accessed through the
built-in HTTP server program. The remote host can do the
configuration or any other setting through a web browser via a
RJ-45 or wireless connection.
[0005] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a remote configuration in
the prior art. Network device AP1, which is, for example, a router,
switch or IP sharing device, connects to a computer PC1. An
embedded operation system is built in the network device AP1; the
OS can be, for example, Linux, Cisco IOS, or Windows. Moreover,
there is a HTTP server program built in the device. In general, a
set of default IP address set exists originally on the network
device, such as 192.168.0.1 shown in the figure, and the computer
PC1 also needs a set of IP address as 192.168.0.2 as shown in FIG.
1. Both the IP addresses 192.168.0.1, 192.168.0.2 should be in the
same local area network (LAN), and belong to one sub-network
192.168.0.0 with subnet mask 255.255.255.0. Finally, the computer
PC1 can access the network device AP1 using a web browser via
network connection.
[0006] In addition to the default IP address set on the network
device, an automatic IP allocation software can be installed in the
device. The software's purpose is to enable an individual host or
device on an IP network to extract their configurations from a
server, such as, for example, a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol) server or BOOTP (Bootstrap Protocol) server. When a
computer PC1 at a control end connects to the network device AP1,
in particular, the computer PC1 will request the network
information of the device AP1, and the configuration of the
computer PC1 should be modified according to the required IP
address, subnet mask, DNS, and network gateway. After that, the
computer PC1 can access the device AP1 in the same network
condition.
[0007] Reference is made to FIG. 2, which is a schematic diagram of
the network devices AP1, AP2, AP3 located in a local area network
(LAN). These devices connect with each other and to a plurality of
computers PC1, PC2 via a hub 10 or a switch. If the network device
AP1 needs to be configured, the network configuration of the remote
computer PC1 should be modified accordingly. Both distinct IP
addresses should be in the same sub-network and the same subnet
mask, or the computer PC1 extracts the required network
configuration from the network device. Then the computer PC1 can
access the network device AP1.
[0008] FIG. 3 illustrates the flow chart of the general process for
accessing the network device. The process is described as follows.
At first, the network devices and the computer at the control end
are connected physically with each other. The network configuration
of the computer at the control end should be modified according to
the setting in the network device (step S300). The computer at the
control end generates a HTTP request packet, and broadcasts the
request packet to the network devices with known IP addresses (step
S301). After the network devices receive the HTTP request packet,
the devices respond to the request with, for example, an ACK
(Acknowledgement character) packet and send the corresponding IP
addresses (step S302). The computer links the network
device-to-be-configured successfully according to the IP address,
and, a three-way handshake, for example, is reached (step S303).
The computer at the control end then starts to access the
device-to-be-configured with a web page (step S304).
[0009] As mentioned above, the network device is configured via the
web page generated in a HTTP server program. An ordinary computer
can be used to access the device without installing any additional
software, which is advantageous, but if the device exists in a
complex network environment, it is hard to distinguish the specific
device that needs to be configured. In fact, the network devices
from the same factory will have the same network configuration,
which doesn't fit with the present condition. Furthermore, the
initial configuration of the network device needs to prevent IP
addresses conflict, and needs to have the same network section or
subnet mask, or extract a coincident configuration from the dynamic
configuration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention introduces a method for accessing a
device with an IP address being modified spontaneously. A
resolution program installed in the network device can resolve a
request string in a HTTP packet. The network device with that
program can recognize the network information in the HTTP packet
broadcast from a control end, and spontaneously modify its own
configuration. The control end can thus access the device using the
device's name only. A preferable embodiment of this invention
comprises the steps of generating a HTTP request packet from a
control end, querying whether the name of device corresponds to a
target IP address, broadcasting the HTTP packet, receiving the name
recorded in the HTTP packet at the device end, spontaneously
modifying the IP address at the device end, feeding back the IP
address of the device to the control end and starting to access the
device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0011] The present invention will be readily understood by the
following detailed description in conjunction accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a remote configuration
according to the prior art;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the network devices located
in a local area network (LAN) according to the prior art;
[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates the flow chart of the general process for
accessing the network device of prior art; and
[0015] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a preferable embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] To allow the Examiner to understand the technology, means
and functions adopted in the present invention, reference is made
to the following detailed description and attached drawing. The
Examiner shall readily understand the invention deeply and
concretely from the purpose, characteristics and specification of
the present invention. Nevertheless, the present invention is not
limited to the attached drawings and embodiments in following
description.
[0017] Network devices, such as a router, switch, IP sharing
device, information appliance and so on, usually need to be
configured initially by connecting with a remote control host. The
universal use for the initial or advanced configuration is to
install a HTTP server program inside the network device, which the
remote host can access using a web browser in a wired or wireless
manner. It's not necessary to use additional software or tools
because the items of the configuration can be found on a web
browser. In spite of the merits mentioned above, the prior method
still needs to consider complex network circumstances. The present
invention relates to a method for accessing a device comprising (1)
actively learning the required IP address from the broadcast
information; and (2) spontaneously modifying a proper IP address
with coincident network configuration and feeding back the same to
a control end. Finally, the control end can access the device
without any additional setting.
[0018] Reference is made to FIG. 4, which is a flow chart for
accessing the network device of the present invention. The network
device is installed with a resolution program. Then the device can
actively resolve the request string about its name in a HTTP packet
and further modify its network configuration accordingly from the
broadcast packet.
[0019] The device's initial or modified name is requisite for the
method of the present invention. The device's proprietary name,
like AP001, AP002 or AP003, is included in the HTTP request packet
and used to distinguish the network devices in a local area
network. The method comprises the following steps. First, the
network devices and the computer at the control end are connected
to each other physically in a wired or wireless manner.
Essentially, the network device's name (such as, for example,
AP001) is prepared.
[0020] A web browser is then executed in a host of the control end,
and the device's name, such as, for example, http://AP001/, is
filled into the blank on the web URL. One or a more HTTP request
packets is generated (step S401).
[0021] The HTTP protocol is performed to resolve the name with a
domain name system (DNS), windows Internet naming service (WINS) or
any other lookup table with correspondence of IP address and the
name in the local area network (LAN). Then the protocol queries as
to whether the name of device corresponds to a target IP address
(step S403).
[0022] If step S403 can resolve the name corresponding to an IP
address, step S415 afterward is performed since the IP address is
fed back to the control end. If the query fails to find the
correspondence of the IP and the name, step S405 is performed.
[0023] The HTTP protocol used at the control end broadcasts the
HTTP request packets to the network devices and hosts in the LAN
(step S405). The network devices and hosts in the LAN receive the
HTTP packets with the device's name recorded therein (step S407).
The embedded operation system with a resolution program in the
network device resolves the name recorded in the HTTP packet, and
determines whether the name corresponds to the device (step
S409).
[0024] If a device in the LAN receives the packet and determines
that the device's name therein does not correspond, then a packet
such as NAK (Negative Acknowledge) is sent in answer to the control
end. Meanwhile, the control end broadcasts the HTTP packets
continuously while receiving the NAK packet. If the device receives
the packet with the corresponding name, then step S411 is
performed.
[0025] A resolution program is installed in the network device and
is used to modify the network configuration of the network device.
When the device learns the information of the packet broadcast from
the control end, the IP address of the device end is modified
accordingly. The spontaneous modification can prevent the conflict
of IP addresses in the LAN.
[0026] Moreover, because the network device cannot retrieve the
subnet mask information from the HTTP packet directly in view of
the TCP/IP technology, the device broadcasts an address resolution
protocol (ARP) packet by itself to confirm the mask setting with
the devices or hosts nearby. After that, the resolution program
will modify not only the IP address and other network
configuration, but also the subnet mask (step S411).
[0027] After confirming the IP address, the device feeds back the
IP address to the control end (step S413). As the control end is
fed back the packet from the device-to-be-configured, the
resolution of the device's name is achieved. The control starts to
access the device (step S415).
[0028] In particular, the present invention discloses a method for
accessing a device with an IP address being modified spontaneously.
The network device can thus modify its own network configuration,
learning from the HTTP packet broadcast from the control end in use
when accessing.
[0029] The many features and advantages of the present invention
are apparent from the written description above and it is intended
by the appended claims to cover all. Further, since numerous
modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact
construction and operation as illustrated and described. Hence, all
suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to as
falling within the scope of the invention.
* * * * *
References